Walk of Shame
by yoakeyiguri
Summary: When Ivan Braginski moves to a tiny Vermont town, he doesn't expect much to happen. That is, until he meets Alfred, whose past mistakes led to a reputation he can't shake off. So when things start to spiral out of control, Ivan realizes that even the most daring plan is better than the alternative.
1. Trouble

**Merry Christmas y'all! This is a RusAme high school AU.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia**

**Warnings: Swearing, implied sexual situations, violence**

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Nervous students parted around Ivan like stream water around a rock, giving him odd glances. Ivan, however, simply ignored all of them for he was used to it. Even when a few girls that were caked in a thick layer of makeup like onnagata began to whisper furiously when he walked past, Ivan continued on pretending they didn't exist. He found that this was the best way to go through school.

Checking the scrap of paper that was in his hand, Ivan walked over to what he supposed was his new locker, though the metal cuboid was anything but. Large fingers clumsily entered the code, and the locker popped open with a creak. Inside, graffiti was etched into the dull navy paint that matched the school uniform for sophomores. There were initials and hearts, curse words and insults, jokes and shaky pictures. Ivan ignored them all, shouldering his backpack into the small space.

"He looks like some kind of freaky yeti," Ivan heard whispered behind him. He swiveled around, a creepy smile spreading across his face. The poor girl trembled, and began to backpedal until running into a short senior (recognizable by the black vest)*, who looked downright murderous. Ivan realized that this was not his problem and instead concentrated on getting his new (again, relatively speaking) science textbook out of his bag.

"Hey, I heard you're new here," said a cheerful voice from behind Ivan. He fully expected it to be some stupid bully who didn't know who they were dealing with, but he was surprised to see a handsome young boy standing behind him. His blue vest matched Ivan's own, yet it seemed unkempt and even had a ketchup stain on one of the sleeves. The boy's dirty blonde hair was just as messy, yet only served to make him more endearing than look like a slob. His blue eyes were bright with joy, but as Ivan looked closer, he realized that the boy had seen some tough times.

"Да, I am," Ivan said slowly, not sure where this conversation was going. The boy had no such doubts.

"My name is Alfred F. Jones, and I'm the awesome sophomore hero! I'm the coolest person here, so you should totally be friends with me! I'll show you around an' everything, 'cause there's a bunch of buttheads 'round here, so the hero can't have the new kid getting bullied!"

Ivan's eyes narrowed in suspicion, and he picked up Alfred by his collar and slammed him against the wall. Alfred's eyes widened in horror, and his wire-rimmed glasses almost slipped off his nose. "Listen," Ivan hissed, "I don't know who you're trying to fool, but I am not that stupid. It would be best for your health if you did not fuck with me, дa? You'll live longer." Ivan had moved from Russia two years ago. In that short amount of time, he had learned to not trust anyone at school. His English gutter vocabulary had also expanded quite a bit.

"D-dude!" Alfred wheezed out, his eyes big as saucer plates, "What are you _doing? _I was just trying to help!" They were attracting a lot of stares now, and Ivan knew that if he didn't drop Alfred soon, someone would run to a teacher. Ivan did so, unceremoniously dumping Alfred down. The poor boy lay panting on the floor.

"Like I said, do not fuck with me." With that, Ivan turned on his heel and left the stunned American behind. That little show, he reasoned, would keep everyone off his heels for a while. They'd know Ivan Braginski was not one to be trifled with.

There were hurried footsteps behind him, and soon Ivan found Alfred at his heels, still breathing heavily from almost being strangled. "Dude," he said, "not cool. If I wasn't the awesome hero I am, I would've totally dumped your sorry ass. You gotta be careful 'round here, y'know? Don't wanna go picking a fight with the wrong person and end up with your head submerged in dirty toilet water." Alfred shook his head, like he had experienced this before. Considering he went to an American high school, he probably had.

"I don't need your help," Ivan said in a sickly sweet voice, a smile spreading across his face, "I can handle myself, глупый. Why don't you just run off to whatever stupid little friends you have and leave me alone?"

Alfred didn't seem to realize that Ivan had not given him a choice. "No way man, you're stuck with me. And don't call me gloopy." Ivan massaged the bridge of his big nose. This was going to be a long day.

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Ivan could not tear his eyes away from Alfred's mouth as the American shoveled down burger after burger. It should be humanly impossible for such a thing, and yet somehow it wasn't. The sight was both fascinating and disgusting. Ivan wasn't sure whether to applaud, slap Alfred on the back, or throw up.

After finishing his last burger, Alfred belched and began sipping soda through a straw. Looking around, the American leaned in and whispered "Diet. Trying to watch my weight, y'know?" Ivan nodded, still not ready to speak after what he had just witnessed. "So dude. Where are you from? You have that funny accent. Can't be American."

Ivan smiled. The accent had been one of the main reasons he was so unpopular in his last two schools. No one wanted to be friends with a commie. "I am from Los Angeles, дa? Though before, I lived in Houston." Ivan had particularly hated it there. The kids at school had been particularly vicious with their threats, and Ivan had been forced to hurt a few. More than a few, actually.

Alfred frowned softly, looking as puzzled as one could while munching on several French fries at once. "Really? You were born in Houston? You don't look like a Texan to me."

"I never said I was _born _there. I was born in Moscow."

"Ha! I knew it!" Alfred looked triumphant. Ivan almost wanted to hit him with the water pipe that he had pulled out of the ground when a particularly nasty Texan had decided that he and Ivan should go toe-to-toe, but he decided against it. It wasn't every day that someone had opened up to the large Russian.

"Knew what, Alfred?" Both people at the table looked up, and Ivan almost gave a start. Two people were standing by the table, both tiny enough that they looked like they could be blown over by a breath of wind. One of them looked strangely like Alfred, but with eyes closer to Ivan's own purple, and paler hair that was slightly wavy. He had a stuffed polar bear on a hip sling, and Ivan thought he must be rather brave, if not stupid, to bring it to school. The other boy was even tinier with straight black hair and dark brown eyes that looked like they belonged on someone much older.

"Mattie! Kiku!" Alfred turned to Ivan, smiling widely. "Ivan, these are my buddies. Matthew and Kiku, Ivan. Ivan, Matthew and Kiku." The Japanese boy, presumably Kiku, dipped his head slightly. Matthew gave the Russian a slightly nervous smile. "Ivan is my super badass Russian sidekick friend!" Alfred exclaimed. Ivan was taken aback. Since when was Ivan Alfred's friend? The friendliest thing Ivan had done for Alfred all day was give someone his death smile when they attempted to knock Alfred's books out of his hands. He shot a glance at Matthew, who simply shrugged and sat across from them. Apparently this was normal.

Kiku quickly followed Matthew's lead, edging slightly away from the Russian. Ivan wasn't terribly offended – this kind of thing happened all of the time. Nevertheless, he smiled at Kiku, which sent the poor boy into shivers.

"D-did you move from Russia?" Matthew asked, his voice trembling slightly. He wanted to lighten the mood, but…

"Нет, not really. I moved from Russia two years ago, to Houston, then to Los Angeles, and then here. My mother has never really been satisfied with her job, but I think she likes it here. Hopefully she will stay this time." There was a trace of wistfulness in Ivan's voice, and it made Alfred tear up.

"Oh you poor baby!" He cried, hugging Ivan and causing a grunt of surprise from the Russian, "Don't leave here, okay? I know Brassfield isn't terribly impressive, but it's nice and I'm sure your mom won't get fired or anything, so please please _please _don't go!"

Ivan rolled his eyes. "I can promise no such thing, but if my mama wants to leave, I can try to convince her otherwise." Why was he even saying this? He had barely known the boy for three hours, and they were already bonding. Perhaps Los Angeles had weakened him.

From across the cafeteria, a few sets of eyes drilled holes into the back of Alfred's skull.

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"Are you _sure_ about this, Alfred?"

The American was gazing at Ivan, who had his back turned to the twins standing near the bus stop. Ivan was walking home, and did not feel Alfred's stare.

"Of course I'm sure, Mattie. The hero has to be brave, even if the odds are against him." Even as he said it, Alfred could not keep all of the worry out of his voice. Even for a hero, it was scary.

Matthew bit his lip. Today was a Thursday, and Matthew had hockey practice. Usually, Kiku would walk Alfred home, but Kiku's older brother Yao had insisted that they go to one of the town's few novelty stores to look at Hello Kitty merchandise. Alfred was alone. Matthew was nearly scared enough to skip practice (which was completely forbidden by the coach), but he knew Alfred would throw a hissy fit. Plus, Alfred was a big boy, and he had gotten a lot better over the summer.

"Well… Okay. But be really careful, and don't go wandering down any back alleys! I don't want you to get hurt again."

Alfred huffed. He wasn't _that _stupid. "Yeah, yeah. Jeez, Mattie, you worry way too much." Without another word, Alfred started down the street, ignoring the calls from his brother. Raising his head to the breeze, Alfred inhaled the Vermont August air. The leaves on the maple trees had just started to turn red – nothing near the splendor they would get to later. Mattie hated Vermont – he was convinced it was a cheap rip-off of his birthplace, Canada, and maybe that was true, but Alfred honestly thought it was great.

Laughter bubbled up in Alfred's throat, and forgetting that he was supposed to keep to the roads, he ran off into the maple woods, spinning underneath the trees. At times like these, it felt so wonderful just to be alive. All the responsibilities of being the hero were lifted off his shoulders, and Alfred felt like he could fly.

Breathing hard, face flushed, Alfred stopped his spinning, still smiling. That was, until he saw the figures standing among the trees. Alfred straightened, all traces of levity gone.

"Aw, looks like we interrupted the fag's fun," one of the boys sneered. Alfred shot him an evil glare.

"What it looks like to me is that someone is craving attention, Mark. You go after me so much; sometimes I think you have a crush on me. You're just a gay lovesick puppy, aren't you?" Some of the boys "oohed", but most of them just started laughing along with Mark.

"At least I wasn't hanging off the Russki. You were begging so hard to suck his cock, weren't you? You man whore."

Alfred flushed angrily, flying at Mark, knocking the boy over. Several of the boy's goons pulled Alfred off and threw him to the ground. Mark stood shakily, wiping blood from his split lip. "Getting' frisky, aren't you? Sorry, but I don't swing that way, fag." Mark's foot connected with Alfred's stomach, making all the air in the American's lungs blow out. Alfred saw stars dancing at the edge of his vision, and he doubled up in pain.

"Aw, look at the poor little bitch," Mark sneered, kicking Alfred again, "I feel so bad that I think we should give him a treat. Be my guest, boys."

It wasn't long until the leaves that had fallen were coated in Alfred's blood.

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**:(**

**I am on a roll today! Updating two fanfictions and posting a new one! *does happy dance***

***In this school, the different grades are required to wear different colors of vests. Freshman is olive green, sophomore is navy blue, junior is maroon and senior is black. Under the vests, the students wear white collared shirts. When it's hot (as it is now), they can wear short sleeves, but otherwise they must wear long sleeves. All students wear dress pants (sorry, no sexy schoolgirl miniskirts).**

**Brassfield is not a real town. I almost placed the story on South Hero Island (it's a real place), but I decided against it, because it'd be easier just to make up a town then try to research one (I'm so lazy). In Brassfield, the main source of income is maple syrup cultivation. Yeah.**


	2. One Foot Wrong

**Hello! Sorry for the long wait on this one, but I have three fanfictions going on at once (this one, **_**Falling Snow,**_** and one on my other account), and school. I hope you can forgive me for my slight tendency to bite off more than I can chew '^.^**

**This is the top author's note, and generally, here I make any important announcements I have, and stuff I forgot from the author's note of the previous chapter. The latter is a lot more common, since I am quite forgetful -_-. In the previous chapter, I forgot to say that I have nothing against Los Angeles or Houston, so to any readers who might be from there, I mean no harm.**

**It just occurred to me that it might be weird to start school on a Thursday. Oh well, apparently **_**someone **_**wasn't thinking. Well, my school does weird stuff like that all the time, starting on Wednesdays and such.**

**I forgot to put translations in the last chapter! I'm so sorry, guys. What Ivan said was Да, глупый, and Нет, which mean yes, stupid, and no, respectively. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything but the writing. **

**Warnings: References to violence, OOC-ness (sometimes, I really hate my writing).**

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The heavy wooden door was scratched with old scars from countless ball games gone wrong. Matthew pushed against it, finally managing to pop it open with his shoulder and knee, nearly falling over when the door gave way. Straightening up, he looked around the room that he had stumbled into. Though it was dark, it seemed rather friendly, the smell of cooking dinner from the kitchen only adding to that image. Matthew noticed that his brother's brightly colored backpack had been carelessly tossed to the side of the doorway – again – so he picked it up and slung it over his shoulder like the rest of his burdens. Now he waited.

"How was your day, Matthew?" A voice called from the kitchen. Matthew grinned – they must be having something good tonight. Generally, it would take a much shorter time for his father to ask the question, but if he was this engrossed in cooking, that meant good things were on the way.

"It was great, dad." Matthew said. He didn't specify _why _it had been a good day, as that would no doubt cause some interesting questions to arise. When he didn't get a response other than a noncommittal grunt, Matthew took that as an invitation to go upstairs to his – to _their – _room. Matthew still didn't understand why his brother had insisted that they share a room instead of him taking the second guest bedroom, but Matthew supposed it was a good excuse for his brother to get a bunk bed.

After lugging all three bags upstairs (Matthew's school bag, his hockey bag and his Alfred's backpack), he dropped them, exhausted, in front of the door to their bedroom. Taking a moment to catch his breath, he knocked on the door, calling, "Alfred? Are you in there?" When there was no reply, he simply said "I'm coming in," before pushing the door open.

Matthew knew immediately that something was wrong. His brother was curled up on the top bunk, far too still and not splayed enough to be taking a nap. Kicking the bags into the room, Matthew hurried over to his brother, tentatively calling "Alfie? Is there something wrong?"

Alfred just curled up tighter onto himself. Matthew scaled the ladder quickly, scooting over to the small form of his brother and placing a hand on his back. "What happened? Are you okay? Did someone hurt you?" There was still no response, and when Matthew allowed his eyes to wander, he noticed a dark mark on his brother's wrist. A bruise where someone had gripped too hard.

Grabbing Alfred's arm, Matthew yanked his brother into a sitting position. It became rather clear to Matthew then why Alfred had chosen to keep his back to his brother. Two black eyes donned his tanned skin, and his lip was cut and swollen. Speckles of blood had dried underneath his nose where Alfred had forgotten to wipe off. His glasses had been replaced with his spare pair, the one with a hairline crack in the left lens, the usual pair nowhere to be found. He seemed to be cringing from injuries to his stomach and knees.

Matthew leaned back, pressing the palms of his hands to his eyes. "Alfie…" he muttered, "What…"

Alfred clutched Matthew's arm, his sky blue eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. "Oh, god, Mattie, please don't tell! Pleaseplease_please! _It was all my fault, I swear! I didn't listen to you, that's the reason it happened! I didn't stay on the roads like you told me to!"

"Alfred, that's no excuse! What if it was worse next time, eh? What if they gave you a concussion? You could _die, _Alfred! I don't think you understand how serious this is! I'd rather have a ridiculed brother than a dead one!"

At this, tears began to form at the corners of Matthew's eyes. "Alfred, I swear to god that I will tell dad! He needs to know, Alfred! We thought for sure that this was over with! How long is this supposed to last? How long do you have to live like this?" Alfred hung his head, quiet.

"Please, don't tell dad. Don't… don't tell anyone. Even… even if they moved me to a new school, it won't make any difference! They'll know, they'll know somehow. And it'll just be worse over there. They'll make it worse… because I gave in."

Matthew turned his face to the ceiling, silent. There were soft sniffling noises from his brother, and Matthew could feel the familiar guilt welling up in him. If there was one thing that Matthew hated, it was making his brother cry. Alfred tried so hard to pretend that the bullying didn't affect him. He was all smiles, even when he was shoved into his locker or tripped in the hallway. It seemed so… ridiculous that one little, stupid, drunken mistake could mess up so much. And yet, here they were. Matthew looked down, wrapping his arms around his shivering brother. He was so glad that at least Kiku hadn't abandoned him. Matthew didn't know if he could save his brother alone.

"Are- are you gonna tell?" Alfred whispered into Matthew's chest. Matthew let out a long, drawn-out sigh.

"… I promise you, that if this happens one more time…" Alfred shot up, smiling widely through his tears.

"Oh, thankyouthankyouthankyou!" He yelled out in joy, practically pinning Matthew to the bed. Matthew "eeped" in surprise, his brother crushing the air from his lungs, "Oh, I knew I could trust you, Mattie! You're the best bro ever!" Matthew would've countered with a remark about how he really wasn't, since the "best bro ever" would've turned Alfred in a long time ago, but he couldn't. Not with the vice that was his brother squeezed firmly around his ribs.

"What is going on up there?" A muffled voice called from the kitchen. Alfred froze from what he was doing, which happened to be nuzzling his brother's hair in affection. If their father came upstairs and saw Alfred looking like he did…

"Nothing, dad, nothing! A-Alfred and I were… were… c-celebrating! Yes, celebrating that Ms., uh, Ms. Woode retired and we don't have her as an English teacher! Yep, we heard some pretty nasty rumors about her!" Matthew called out as best he could, not able to stop some of the trembling in his voice. There was a moment of tense silence, before the reply was called out.

"Well, keep it down, boys. I'm trying to make sure this damned crust will be flaky enough without being burnt." Alfred let out a slow, relieved sigh.

"Mattie, have I ever told you you're a freaking genius?" He whispered, rather loudly.

"Several times, actually."

Alfred punched his brother lightly, finally sitting up. Matthew followed suit, touching his aching ribs gingerly. If there was one thing that he never worried about with his brother, it was his eating habits. Alfred wouldn't miss a meal if the world were coming to an end.

"Alfred, do you… you know… have any makeup left from last year?" Alfred frowned softly, thinking about it.

"I dunno, maybe… could'ja check the medicine cabinet for me? If I did save some, just in case, it'd be in there, I think." Matthew nodded, pushing his older brother onto his back. He would need to go to the bathroom anyways, since all of the band-aids and other medical supplies were in there.

Alfred grunted slightly at the gentle push, but didn't protest. Of course Matthew would want him to rest a little – even if Alfred thought he didn't need it. Then again, it was probably not the smartest idea to go against his brother when he had come so close to turning Alfred in.

Matthew slid down the ladder, exiting the room and walking quickly to the bathroom at the end of the hallway, eager to fix up his brother, but he needed to stay quiet less he alerted his father of the noise and his dad came up to investigate. Softly opening the bathroom door, Matthew slid inside and opened up the medicine cabinet. Alas, there was not a single bottle of foundation in there. However, there were plenty of antibiotics and bandages. Gathering all of them up, Matthew shut the cabinet. He paused a moment, the reflection in the mirror startling him slightly. His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were red. Had he been crying? He couldn't tell…

Pushing the thought away, Matthew hurried out of the bathroom and back into their bedroom. Alfred was staring at the ceiling, and when he saw his brother, he smiled at him, eyes strangely distant. Matthew scaled the ladder, starting to open a box of band-aids. "There wasn't any makeup in the bathroom," he informed Alfred, carefully tearing the white plastic off the back of the band-aid, "I'll have to run to the convenience store to get some."

"You should probably leave soon, then," Alfred warned his brother, grimacing slightly when Matthew pushed up his glasses to place a band-aid where the bridge of wire had been pushed too hard. "Being late to dinner would not be a good idea."

Matthew glanced at the clock on the wall. 6:09. "Yeah, I should go. Can you take care of your cuts by yourself? There's a hand mirror in the top drawer of the dresser if you need to figure out where some of them are.

At this, Alfred began to laugh. "Y'know, Mattie, I _can _feel where the cuts are." Matthew flushed slightly at his slip-up, and muttered something about "just telling you". Even through the embarrassment, Matthew was relieved. Alfred was laughing – he'd be okay. Placing a quick kiss to Alfred's cheek, Matthew once more slid down the ladder, grabbing his backpack and riffling through the contents as he looked for his wallet. Alfred lay back again, staring at the ceiling. At least his brother had it under control. Sometimes Alfred doubted he'd be alive if he didn't have Matthew.

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The pressure on Ivan's arm was becoming actually painful, and he was worried that if his little sister didn't let go soon, the circulation would be completely cut off and they'd have to amputate it. Generally, Ivan wasn't one to worry about such ridiculous possibilities, but this was _Natalia. _It wouldn't be the first time his overly-affectionate sister had sent him to the hospital.

Ivan was beginning to regret his decision to tag along with Katayusha, his older sister, to the convenience store. She had wanted to stock up on makeup – one of her efforts to try to get boys to pay attention to her face rather than her overly-large chest. At the moment, she was lingering over some cold medicine, completely oblivious to Ivan's predicament.

"Natalia?" Ivan hissed softly, as he was approaching his breaking point, "Would you _please _stop clutching my arm so hard? I mean," He added quickly, in case she took it the wrong way, "you can still hold onto me, but you're hurting me."

Natalia looked up, her dark blue eyes sparkling despite her stoic expression. "Of course, brother dearest!" she loosened her grip, though it was still rather tight. Ivan breathed through his big nose, relieved. He wished desperately that he could just push Natalia away, but he couldn't do that. Not to Natalia…

"What do you think, Ivan?" The teenager in question looked up. Katayusha was holding a bottle of Tylenol, a small smile on her face. "We should probably start stocking up on basic medicine – we didn't pack any with us." Besides the _essential _medicine, but that was different.

"Да, that would be a good idea to buy some." Ivan nodded, but he couldn't help but wish that Katayusha would hurry up already. He really just wanted to be home… so he could think about today. It had certainly been the most interesting first day at school he'd ever experienced.

"Okay, I'll get it! You two just stay right here, okay? I need to go to the bathroom, but after that I'll my makeup and we'll be done!" Katayusha smiled at Ivan and Natalia, then left. As soon as she had turned to the next isle, Natalia practically tackled Ivan to the shelf, causing several bottles of aspirin to clatter to the floor, the white pills inside rattling. Ivan could feel the panic rising in his throat. Generally, Natalia refrained from this kind of behavior in public. Apparently, today was an off-day.

"Oh, brother dearest, I had such an _awful _day today! The teachers say I there's no way I can be transferred to high school! That means I can't see you during school!" Natalia pressed harder against her trapped brother, nuzzling her face into his chest. By now, the panic was restricting Ivan's breathing, and he had to hold himself back from running away like a madman.

"W-well, Natalia," he stuttered, "It's very important that you get a good education! Besides, we can see each other plenty after school…" He placed two hands on her shoulders, trying to silently convey that he wanted her off of him. If anything, she pushed closer and tightened her grip around him. Ivan could feel the curiosity from the people around the convenience store.

"But by the time that we can see each other in school, you'll already be a senior! It isn't _fair; _I want the whole school to know that we are an item! They don't understand us, Ivan; they won't do anything for _us." _Ivan couldn't take it anymore. Giving a firm but gentle push, he ran from the aisle. The people who had been giving questioning glances were now full-out staring. There was a cry of "Brother!" from Natalia, but Ivan ignored it, tearing through the convenience store, looking for somewhere, _anywhere _to hide. Eventually, Ivan collapsed behind a large cardboard cutout of a beautiful woman, breath hard. The exertion wasn't the cause, and Ivan knew this very well. This had been the reason he had wanted to go to the convenience store in the first place. He didn't want to be alone with Natalia – he couldn't be with her.

A hand slid onto his shoulder, and Ivan jumped, nearly screaming. "Ivan?" A soft voice called, and he sighed in relief. It was Katayusha. He stood up, nearly knocking the cardboard cutout over. Steadying the flimsy structure, he began to turn.

"Ах, Кэт, я так сожалею о том, как шалят, я просто ис-" Ivan froze, cutting off his sentence abruptly. Standing there was not his older sister, but Matthew, the boy he had just met today. He looked as freaked out as Ivan felt, his indigo eyes wide and his mouth slightly open from shock and confusion. There was a long silence as they both tried to gather their bearings.

"What-" Matthew began, before stopping himself and shaking his head. "Are you… are you okay? Is something wrong?"

"Нет, I-I'm okay. I just… had a little scare." Ivan finished lamely. He was still shaken from his encounter with Natalia – _tooclosetooclosetooclose – _and couldn't think of any good excuses.

"… Right, okay, that's good." Matthew said awkwardly, obviously not believing him in the slightest. "Well, you know, if anything is up-"

"What are you two doing?" A voice called. Looking simultaneously, Matthew and Ivan turned their heads. Katayusha was standing nearby, an uncertain smile on her face. "Ivan, who is this?"

Matthew stepped out from behind the cutout, Ivan following suit. "Ah, this is my friend Matthew. I met him today at school." Ivan said, gesturing to Matthew. That's when he realized that there was something odd in the boy's hand – a bottle of foundation that seemed slightly too dark for Matthew's own skin. Matthew noticed Ivan's glance, and shifted it behind his back, an unspoken agreement in his eyes – he wouldn't say anything about the running and hiding if Ivan didn't say anything about the makeup.

Katayusha's smile widened. "Oh, Ivan, that's wonderful!" She turned to Matthew, and he returned the smile timidly. "My name is Katayusha, but please just call me Kat! Everyone does. I'm Ivan's big sister."

"I'm honored to meet you, Kat," Matthew said, shifting the bottle of foundation to his other hand so he could shake Katayusha's. Ivan could tell he was making a valiant effort to look at his sister's face instead of her chest, which made Katayusha very pleased.

"Same here, Matthew! It's so nice to see that Ivan is making some friends, and you seem like a nice boy." Ivan mentally facepalmed. Way to make his loneliness obvious. Suddenly, Katayusha froze in mid-handshake, making poor Matthew very confused. She whipped her head around, looking at Ivan. "Natalia?"

"We have to go," Ivan blurted to Matthew, and it was obvious by his expression he was trying to put the dots together, and failing miserably. Katayusha pulled Matthew into a surprise hug, an automatic thing for her.

"Goodbye!" She called out, almost running off, Ivan moving just as fast. Matthew was left in the middle of the aisle with a bottle of foundation in one hand, and no idea what was going on.

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**ASDFGHJKLNFAGH GH'AOE LIAEBNA; JHTBJIO**

**I CAN'T WRITE.**

**I CAN'T WRITE.**

_**WHYYYYYYYY… **_

**Everyone felt so OOC in this chapter… Ugh…**

**Right. Anyways, several things need to be cleared up – firstly, Matthew and Alfred don't live in the FACE family, or even have either France or England as their single parent. Both characters are needed elsewhere in the story, so yeah…**

**If it seems that Alfred and Matthew were being a little touchy-feely, that's just me. I really like writing brotherly love, it won't evolve into anything, don't worry about it. It's the same thing with Katayusha and Matthew. Matthew **_**is **_**gay, since it's really, really likely that if one twin is gay, the other is as well. **

**To my reviewers: Thank you all so much! I really appreciate it, and the more reviews I get, the more motivated I am! Constructive criticism is great, but flames will just cause you to make a jackass out of yourself.**

**Translations:**

**Да: Yes**

**Ах, Кэт, я так сожалею о том, как шалят, я просто ис- : Oh, Kat, I'm so sorry for acting up like that, I just got sc-**

**Нет: No**


	3. Family Portrait

**This chapter was also a really long wait, and I'm sorry about that. I've been losing interest in this story, and I haven't been working on it. But I promise I'll finish it, because one time I quit halfway through a fanfiction and felt awful about it afterwards.**

**In my first chapter, I was talking about Matthew being "frail" or whatever, and now that I'm looking back on it, I realized I was just being so stereotypically yaoi-minded. Matthew is maybe half a centimeter or so shorter than Alfred, and not a willowy figure. I apologize, and from now on, he will be assumed to have about the same height and build as Alfred (maybe a little thinner). **

**This fanfiction moves pretty slowly, but I just want to establish characters. This chapter, especially, is supposed to be a look at the families in the story. The next chapter will be more interesting, I promise. Also, I've decided to handle translations differently – no more Cyrillic. Any foreign language will just be italicized to show that it's not English. Basic words like "da" and "nyet" will sometimes not be translated, but that's more for effect. I'm assuming you already know the basics.**

**It's kind of late where I am – I think I'm going to edit this later, but I need to get this shit done!**

**EDIT: I didn't find any huge mistakes, but I've never been a good reviewer, so… yeah. Mostly it was just issues of flow. I'm never satisfied with my flow :P**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.**

**Warnings: Sexual references, incestual references **

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As Ivan looked closely down at his plate, he noticed a small chip in the midnight blue glaze. It broke up the thin golden swirls on the edge. It broke the flow. Ivan frowned, pressing his finger over the imperfection. Had Kat smacked the plate against the dishwasher rack? Did Natalia get violent and slam her knife into the edge? Either way, Ivan was finding it hard to concentrate on the pork chops resting on the damaged stoneware.

"Are you okay, Ivan?" He looked up to see his mother squinting at him slightly. "You haven't touched your food. Was your first day at school bad?"

"_Nyet, _it was fine." Ivan smiled at her, the plasticity of it making her wince. It wasn't as though Ivan was lying – certainly, it had been one of the best first days he had ever experienced – but he knew that his mother hated the odd habits he had picked up in Russia. He wasn't going to tell her about the chip. Trying to turn the attention away from him, he looked over at his older sister. "How was your first day, Kat? Did you meet any nice people?"

Kat was a senior, but attended a different high school than Ivan for "personal reasons". Though she never said, Ivan had a feeling that she was afraid of being associated with her little brother. Ivan wasn't exactly _liked _due to his accent and scary demeanor. While it was true that Kat also had the accent, she was forgiven for it because of her "great personality" as Ivan had heard it called, generally accompanied by foul hand gestures around the chest.

"Oh, yes, there was a very nice girl. Louise, I think her name was? _Da,_she was quite comforting to me, seeing as I was starting at a new school… She was very intelligent and pretty." Kat beamed, obviously pleased she had met someone nice. "Oh, Ivan, you never told me more about that Matthew boy." Natalia's head snapped up, her eyes narrowing at her older brother. Ivan mentally winced.

"O-oh, him? He's… very nice. I met his brother, too. They're twins, I think. Fraternal. Alfred – his brother – is very… outgoing." Ivan wasn't entirely sure what to think of Alfred at this point. The most that he could gather was that Ivan would probably be annoyed by him constantly, but at the end of the day, still enjoy his company. Ivan wasn't ready to call him a friend, but "friendly acquaintance" would do for a title.

"Are you _close _to them?" Natalia asked, an unmistakable hiss in her voice. Ivan shook his head quickly, eyes widening.

"No, no! I – we only just met! I don't know either of them that well, haha!" Ivan's stuttering statement was topped off by a nervous laugh. Natalia looked unconvinced, but decided to leave it alone. Ivan made a mental note to talk to Kat later about bringing up friends around Natalia. She always seemed to get the wrong idea when Ivan got close to someone – even with his own family. Except for her, of course. She would just love it if Ivan got all chummy with her; or went further.

Kat stood up abruptly, making a little "eek" noise when her chair toppled over. Tears welled up in her eyes as she leaned over to fix her mess. "I'm sorry, I just remembered, I needed to get the medicine, I didn't mean for it to fall over, I'm so sorry-"

Ivan's mother stood up, walking over to her distressed daughter and laying a hand on her shoulder when Kat was finished up righting the chair. "It's fine, honey. If you want to, I can go get the medicine." Kat shook her head quickly.

"No, no, I made this big mess, might as well let it be for a reason!" She laughed nervously, rushing off to the bathroom. Natalia, who had ignored the entire fiasco, instead choosing to stare at Ivan, made a soft growling noise and turned back to her plate. Ivan was quiet as his mother sat back down. He really didn't want to eat now, but he began to cut up the pork anyways. The dinner had been a failure from the get-go. Then again, when was it not?

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"Ah, shit! Be gentle, Mattie!"

"Sorry, sorry!" Matthew mumbled as he drew his hand away from his brother's eye. He wasn't really pressing down that hard, but Alfred's eye _was _bruised, so it was understandable. Bringing the brush back to Alfred's face, Matthew began to apply the foundation again. "I haven't done this in a few months, so be patient with me, eh…"

"I know, I know." Alfred sighed. It was almost humiliating how well he and his brother knew their makeup now. They even bought special brushes and whatnot to make Alfred's skin look less… damaged. They hadn't been found out yet.

Except for Ivan… Matthew chewed his lip lightly, dipping the brush back into the bottle. Ivan had seen the foundation in his hands, Matthew was sure. But it wasn't really a problem, Ivan didn't seem like the kind of person who would tell – or particularly care, for that matter. Ivan presumably had his own problems to deal with, considering that he was hiding behind a cardboard cutout…

"OW!" Alfred shrieked, startling Matthew out of his thoughts. He had poked his brother in the eye while contemplating.

"I'm really sorry," Matthew pleaded, holding his brother's face with his free hand, "I really didn't mean to, I wasn't paying attention."

"Yeah, that much is obvious." Alfred huffed. His face softened when he saw Matthew's wide, pitiful eyes, and chuckled. "The puppy eyes are usually my thing, but you can do them pretty well too. Almost as good as big brother."

"I thought the Hollywood shit grin was your thing. You do it a lot, that's for sure." Alfred paused, looking at his brother, not sure if his statement was supposed to be taken lightheartedly or not. After a moment, he shrugged it off, planting a quick kiss to Matthew's cheek. When he pulled away, he asked "So are you gonna finish up or not?"

"Boys!" Their father called from downstairs, making both of them jump, "Dinner's ready!"

"J-just a second, dad!" Alfred called out. Matthew quickly tried to finish up, dabbing where he could. After a moment, he nodded slightly, and Alfred scrambled down the ladder, Matthew in pursuit. Capping the foundation, the younger of the two brothers placed the bottle on the dresser drawer, and they left the room together.

Downstairs, their father was waiting for them with crossed arms. "Dinner's in front of the TV. Get it while it's still hot, you two." Three flaky chicken-pot-pies rested on the coffee table, and the two brothers took their seats, Matthew to the far left of the couch, and Alfred in the middle. Not even waiting for his father to sit down, Alfred began to viciously mash his food, steam rising up like exhaust from a car on a cold day. "What do you guys want to watch?" Their father asked as he sat down.

"The Avengers." Alfred immediately said. Matthew groaned.

"Al, we've seen that movie a million times now. I know it's your favorite, but we can watch something else once in a while." Matthew paused, considering for a moment. "No horror movies, either. I don't want you choking on your food or getting nightmares like last time." When his brother began to protest, Matthew raised a hand. "I want to sleep alone tonight. I'm really sore from hockey, okay? I'm not angry at you for getting scared, I just need my rest, eh."

"I was not scared! I was just… protecting you from all the ghosts that could have gotten you in the night! Yeah." Matthew sighed, but didn't argue the point.

By now, their father was regretting not just telling his sons to just eat in their room, but decided not to bring this up. Chewing his lip, he asked "Why don't we just watch an old classic? You know, like a musical or a Disney movie."

"We should totally watch Lion King!" Alfred exclaimed. Looking towards his brother for approval, Matthew gave a slight shrug and nodded. A huge smile crept across Alfred's face, and he ran over to the drawer beneath the TV, pulling it open and flicking through the DVD cases. Matthew sighed softly and smiled at his brother's simple happiness. He hoped that Alfred never lost his pleasure in the simple things of life.

As Alfred was putting the disc into the player, the phone began to ring in the kitchen. Their dad looked up, standing and walking over to the phone. Alfred put the disc down, a strange expression on his face. The twins were deathly silent, with baited breath

"Hello? Oh, Dennis! Hey, what's up?"

A soft sigh was released from the brothers. Looking at each other, Matthew nodded, and Alfred picked up the disc and continued setting the movie up. The younger of the two sat forward, mushing his pot-pie. False alarm.

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The soft ticking of the clock didn't register in Kiku's mind as he diligently read through the footnotes on the tenth page of his science textbook. He barely even registered the familiar notes of 8-bit Hatsune Miku ringing on his phone, but he looked up just in time to grab it and answer the call.

"Konbawa, Matthew-kun. How are you today?"

A rush of static blew in Kiku's ear as his friend sighed. "Well, not so great." After a pause, he added, "I'm not interrupting anything important, am I? I would hate to be a bother, eh."

"No, I was just studying. Please, tell me what's wrong, and I will try to give you the best advice I can." There was a moment of silence, and Kiku knew that Matthew was debating whether or not to ask him why he was studying on the first night after class even though they hadn't gotten any homework.

"… Um, well, when I came home from hockey practice, Al was all beaten up. He told me that he had gone off the road – which I told him not to do – and was ambushed. I… didn't tell my dad, but I thought that you deserved to know…" Matthew trailed off, waiting for Kiku's response.

"… Well, we certainly cannot let him be alone again. We took a risk letting him walk home by himself, and we now know that the tormentors have not let up. Though this is unfortunate, at least we have an idea of where we stand on this situation." There was a bang from downstairs, and Kiku paused to listen. After a muffled "Be careful, Yao!" came, Kiku continued on. "I cannot let myself be preoccupied on Thursdays anymore; that is certain."

"What about Ivan?"

Kiku paused. Ivan? "What about him?"

"Al certainly seems to like him, but… I don't know. He doesn't seem like a bad guy, but he does seem rather… mysterious? I'm not entirely sure we can trust him, but I'm not about to take away Al's chance at a new friend, eh. I guess we'll have to wait and see before we can make any assumptions."

"I do not like him. I get a very bad feeling whenever I'm around him… he does not seem like a person who would understand Alfred-kun's... problem. If we told him… I believe that he would join the others in harming Alfred-kun."

On the other side of the line, Matthew frowned. Kiku generally wasn't one to make rash assumptions like that… "Well, he's probably going to hear about it eventually, I think it would be better if Al told him personally. If they stay 'friends' that is. It's a risk, but I think it's one worth taking. While it's true that Ivan might take it badly… he might also feel, I dunno, sorry for Al? He is the victim in this circumstance…"

"When would you want Alfred-kun to tell Ivan-san? Not until we know we can trust him, surely."

"Huh? Oh, no, no, not soon or anything! Just when Al feels like it, eh. I just want him to tell Ivan what happened personally. If he hears it from someone else, Ivan may think less of Al… Plus, people have a nasty way of twisting things so it sounds worse than it actually is."

"Ah, I understand. Well, I suppose you can tell Alfred-kun what you want him to do. Soon, though. But not too soon."

There was silence from the other end of the line for a moment. "… Sure thing. Good night, Kiku."

"Good night, Matthew-kun."

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**Louise is Monaco, in case you were wondering who I was talking about. I think that some people use the name for fem!Germany, but I could be wrong. I dunno. Also, quick note – I don't really like Monaco. I'm sorry if you're a Monaco fan or something, but she seems too… stuck up for my tastes. You can be elegant without completely being rude to those who are "beneath" you in class. I dunno, maybe if I learned more about her I would like her. Also, Kat said "da". I know this probably doesn't need clarification, but in this fanfiction, the whole family is just from Russia, not the Ukraine or Belarus. **

**When Matthew was applying makeup to Alfred's face, I literally had to look up how to do this. I know shit about makeup except that it's this magical goo that apparently makes you look pretty :P Oh, and sometimes it's not goo, it's powder. I have no idea about the pot-pies… in my family, before eating them, we just pound them into mush. I have no idea if we do it "correctly", but whatever… Does anyone else think that Kiku would totally have 8-bit Hatsune Miku song as his ringtone? It just seems so… him XD **

**Thank you to all my reviewers, it really encourages me! Please, don't be shy about leaving a review, especially if it's constructive criticism. Thanks!**


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